madden



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

' J. W. MADDEN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented May 28, 1895.

m: "0am: PFIERS co, no'rauma, wnsnmmon. n. c.

- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. MADDEN. FIRE ESCAPE No. 539,958. Patented Mayzs, 1895.

we "cams PEYERS cc. moroumm, wasmun dial holes drilled therein.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. RANDALL,

OF YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,958, dated May 28, 1895.

A plic i n fi February 39 Serial No. 538,485. (No model.)

Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES WHEATON MAD- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and-State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to portable fire-escapes mainly intended to be carried in' the pocket or hand-bag of the traveler ready for immediate use, when required, by attachment to the fixed work in the room, or to any article of furniture sufficiently large and heavy to sustain the weight of the person while being lowered from the window.

It consists of a coil of wire wound upon an annular grooved ring inclosed in a casing provided with friction sheaves around which the wire is led as it unwinds, and also with releasing and stopping mechanism, and an additional friction device controlled by the person supported in a loop of webbing attached to a wire frame inclosing the casing, while making the descent. The grooved ring is provided with internal gear meshing into a toothed pinion, having a flanged wheel mounted on the pinion shaft inclosed in a vertically sliding yoke equipped with V-shaped surfaces matching to the wheel, and with a spring-dog engaging in one of the several ra- The grooved ring is guided in a corresponding annular portion of the casing, and is released or stopped, and its rapidity of rotation controlled by increasing or relaxing the pull upon a knob attached to the sliding yoke.

The accompanying-drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is avertical section. Fig. 3 is'a side elevation, partly in vertical section, on the line 3 3 in Fig. 4. Fig. at is a vertical section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar View of a portion, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation on a smaller scale. It shows the reverse side to that in Figs. 1 and 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the casing of cast metal, and A an exterior flange and A an interior flange, each a nearly complete circle, the space between forming a way for an annular grooved ring B mounted therein with liberty to rotate, and carrying a coil of light steel wire M. The flange A is a continuationof the flange A around an extension A of the casing, in which is mounted three friction sheaves 0 around which the wire M passes before leaving the casing through the tubular guide A D is a cover-plate matching over the easing, and secured in place by screw-bolts O forming centers for the sheaves O, and by an additional bol-tD' in the lower portion of the casing.

The grooved ring B is rectangular in crosssection, and is provided with a series of small radial holes drilled equi-distant from each other on the center line, adapted to mesh with the pinion E'on a shaft E extending through the interior of the ring, and having bearings e in the casing A and in the extension D of the cover. The points of the teeth on the pinion extend quite through the metal of the ring, but are protected from the coil of wire M by a strip B 'laid in the groove, and having an arched portion B? into which the teeth may protrude.

E is a wheel or friction-roller having two angular flanges e 6 with a plane cylindrical portion e between them, provided with a series of radial holes a.

The wheel E is inclosed in a yoke F, pro-- f, f, matching the contour of the angular flanges e (2 on the wheel. The yoke is guided with liberty to move up and down to the required extent in the extension D on the cover by a guide rod F extending upward, and forming an abutment for a helical spring F tending to lift the yoke and its attachments. In the lower portion of the yoke is a dog H engaging normally in one of the series of holes e and subject to the force of a light lifting spring h surrounding the dog in a hole drilled in the yoke. The dog H extends downward through the portion D of the cover and terminates in a knob H. of such size and shape as to be easily grasped and pulled upon by the person using the apparatus.

L is a light frame of stout wire inclosing the casing and cover, provided with cross-bars The apparatus is used as follows: The-loop M of the wire M is made fast to a hook fixed in the window-casing, or to any convenient projection, or an article of furniturepla'oed near the window of such size and strength as to form a reliable support. The personclimbs over the window-sill, seatshims'elf mum 100p" and allows his weight to'besu'stainedby the wire. A slight pull on the knob H overcomes theresistance of the spring h,- withdrawing thedog H, and allows-the wheel T) torevolve. Th'e weight of the person unwinds the wire M, revolving the ring B. A too rapid descent is prevented by the friction of t the wires around the sheaves O, and the friction of the lower portion F of the yoke upon the wheel E If, however, this is not sufficient, a'strong pull on the knob .H will overcome the-resistance of the spring F and bring the upperportion: F of theyoke into frictional contact withthe wheel E as shown in Fi g. 5. Thus conditioned, the additional friction will depend upon theexcessofpull- 'on the'yoke over the lifting force of the spring,- E, which excess maybe Varied at the wilt of the person until the descent is accomplished. If, for any reason, the person wishesto-stop, it may be done by. simply relaxingwthe pull on the knob-H, allowing the yoke to rise into contact with the wheel E and the dog H to be forced into engagement with one of the holes e4 in the portion 6 of the wheel,-preventing its revo lution, and through the :pinion E h'oldingtthe ring B against "revolving. By holding the yoke in an intermediate position, out of contact with the wheel, the 'descent'will be restrained only by the friction of'th'e wire M around the sheaves 0, and will-then depend 1,

upon the weight of the person. The ap.pa

ratus should be previously adjusted approxirnately-to the weight of the person using-it; by passing the wire agreater orless number E of times around thesheaves-O so that the descent will be rapidwhen conditioned as above,

but will be easily checked by the additional friction on the wheel E By reason of vthe qualities of strength and lightness possessedby aluminum I prefer to 1 use thatmetal for the casingan-d mainpiortions ofrny apparatus.

The wire M should be of'steel of small gage, but of sufficie'nt strength 'to support theweight. My. experiments in dicate that a ring of the proportions shown, of five inches outsidedia'rneter, will carry more 5 than one hundred feet of wire strong enough to safely, sustain a weight of five hundred pounds.

The apparatusis'small, andmayb'e carried in an ordinarycoat pocket,;and is intended to be carried in the personal baggage of trav eling salesmen and others who are exposed to danger from fire;

The frame L, having the cross-bars L' to which the ends of the loop N are fastened, makes a strong but separable connection between the webbing and casing, and allows the latter tobe carried independently, if desired; and also serves'to distribute the weight of the load and insures that the casing shall not be turnedor displaced while in use.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions Without departing from the principle of the invention. Instead of aluminum 'o'th'er'metals maybe employed, if preferred. The'ring B may be made with internal gear teeth to engage with the pinion E instead of using the form of gearing shown, dispensing with the strip-B. Agreater or less number of friction sheaves C may be employed.

F ig.-; 7 shows a form of the invention in in which the spring-dog is mounted in a guide within the inner flange, and engages with one of a series of holes drilled in the internal circumference of the ring. A depending wire loop extends through a boss on the dog,

guided in slots in the casing and coverplate, and provided with ahandle below. A downward pull withdrawsthe dog and allows-the ring to revolve. Afurther-movement in the samedirection brings an adjustable shoe on a screw-threaded extension of the dog into frictional contact with the interior surfaceof the ring, the friction thus produced acting with the sheaves to retard the descent, as in the form first described. Themodified form is .best adapted forlarge sizes intended to be mounted on ahook or crane attached to the Window-casing. ,in each room on the upper floors; but it maybeinade nearly 'or quite as small as the form shown in Figs'l to 6, and is more corn pact as it dispenses with the extension- D I-clai-m as my-in'vention- 1.- The'casing A, having flanges A, A the rin gB guided between said flanges and carrying: the wire M, in combination with the Sheaves O- and cover-plate D, substantially as herein specified.

2. The casing: A, having flanges-A, A the ring B gu'ided between said flan-gesand carrying the wire M, in combination 7 with the sheaves O, and an additional friction mechanism engaging the interior of the said ring, and controlled by the user, all substantially as herein specified-. I

3 The ring B, shaftE, wheel E and yoke F adaptedto frictionally engage the said wheel, in combination with eachoth-er and with the wirevM and sheavesv C, all-substantially as herein specified, I g, 4. The ring B, shaft E, wheel Eflhaving holes 6 yoke F and dog H, in combination with each other and-with the wire M, substantially as herein specified,

5. The wire -M, ring'B, shaft E and Wheel E the latter having angular flanges 6 in comadapted to engage frictionally. with the said wheel, and the rod F and spring F all substantially as herein specified.

6. The wire M, ring B, shaft E and wheel E having holes a, in combination with the yoke F, rod F spring F and dog H, substantially as herein specified.

7. The casing A, having flanges A, A the ringB guided between said flanges, the shaft E extending through the ring, the pinion E ongaging the interior of the ring, in combination with the wheel E having holes e yoke F, rod F spring F and dog H, H, substantially as herein specified.

8. The casing A, flanges A, A cover-plate D, ring B, wire M and sheaves O, in combination with the shaft E, pinion E, wheel E above set forth I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JAMES WI-IEATON MADDEN.

Witnessesz CHAS. E. SEARLE, H. A. J OHNSTONE. 

